Peterson Trucks Moves Used Trucks Facility to 2595 Alvarado Street, San Leandro

San Leandro, CA — Peterson Trucks, a division of Peterson Holding Co., has moved its used trucks facility to 2595 Alvarado Street in San Leandro. The San Leandro lot has been the base of operations for Peterson Idealease, the rental and lease arm of Peterson Trucks, for several months. This facility replaces Peterson’s former location off of Highway 880 in Oakland

Steve Sundberg, General Sales Manager for Peterson Trucks, commented on the reasons for the move: “We want to give our customers the opportunity to take full advantage of our range of services. Now, fleet managers can come to a single location, view our used truck inventory as well as our rental and lease vehicles, and make the decision that best fits their business strategy. And the new lot is right around the corner from our International truck dealership, and parts and service center.”

Additionally, Peterson Trucks’ new facility is next door to Peterson Cat’s earthmoving sales and service facility, and is only a few blocks from Peterson Power Systems, which offers generator sales, rentals, and service. “We’re a one-stop shop,” Sundberg explained. “We have virtually any piece of equipment our customers might need, the technicians to fix it, and the parts to maintain it. And on top of that, we have purchase, rental, and lease options to fit a range of business plans.”

Peterson Trucks’ Executive VP and GM, Larry MacDonald elaborated on the advantages of moving Peterson’s Used Truck Center: “We’re now in a position to offer used trucks from our own lease and rental fleet. This means our technicians have been maintaining the vehicles since we acquired them, and it’s in our best interest to keep them in pristine condition. In short, we can assure that our used truck customers are getting a quality product.”

About Peterson
Peterson has been a family-owned Caterpillar dealer for seventy-five years. The Peterson family of companies serves over one hundred thousand square miles of the American West with an expansive line of equipment: Caterpillar machinery and on-highway trucks, International trucks, agricultural equipment, rental equipment, portable and stationary diesel-powered generators, natural gas turbines, air compressors, and advanced equipment guidance systems. With more than forty locations throughout northern California, Oregon, and southwestern Washington, Peterson employs over one thousand employees. For more information about Peterson Idealease, visit www.petersonidealease.com.

MaxxForce Engines with SCR-Based Aftertreatment Receive EPA Approval

Late last year, International ProStar Class 8 Trucks equipped with 15-liter Cummins ISX engines began rolling of assembly lines. Since that time, Navistar has been keeping customers up-to-date on its plans to incorporate Cummins SCR-based aftertreatment technology into MaxxForce engines.

This month, International announced news promising the immanent realization of this strategy: the US Environmental Protection Agency has issued certification for MaxxForce 13-liter engines with SCR-based aftertreatment. The ProStars equipped with the new MaxxForce engines will allow Navistar to offer a complete line of heavy duty trucks that meet 2010 CA emissions standards.

According to Jack Allen, Navistar’s executive vice president and COO, the first ProStar trucks with 13-liter, emissions-compliant MaxxForce engines will be available by the end of this month.

Navistar and Eaton Introduce a New Transmission to Increase Fuel Efficiency

Navistar has always made optimizing fuel economy a primary goal in the development of the International ProStar tractor. And now, with Eaton Corporation’s announcement that its latest version of the Ultrashift Plus transmission will be installed exclusively in Navistar vehicles, ProStar owners can soon enjoy even greater fuel savings.

The new automated manual transmission, called the UltraShift Plus LSE (Linehaul Small-Step Efficiency), uses a 17% step in between gears to maximize the use of the engine’s most efficient RPM zone, increasing fuel economy in linehaul applications. Steve Gilligan, Navistar’s vice president of marketing, emphasized this feature, stating: “Fuel economy has been the cornerstone of the International ProStar, and with the collaboration with Eaton on the 16-speed direct-drive automated transmission, we’re able to deliver even more tangible fuel economy benefits to our customers.”

The new Eaton transmissions will have 16 forward gears and two reverse gears with an overall gear ratio of 14.40. In addition to including all the benefits of the UltraShift Plus, the UltraShift Plus LSE will “boost the efficiency of the transmission gear train,” according to Eaton product planning manager Shane Groner.

Business Wire News reported that vehicles involved in the testing phase of the new Eaton transmission experienced a fuel savings of two to four percent.

Production of the UltraShift Plus LSE is scheduled to begin in April, and the initial rollout will include International vehicles equipped with the MaxxForce 13L SCR engine. The transmission will be incorporated into vehicles with Cummins ISX15 engines shortly after.

Free Seminar April 17: California Emissions Requirements for On-Highway Vehicles

California motor carriers know that meeting state emissions requirements is no simple task. As emissions technology improves and regulations expand and change, many fleet owners and managers find they need assistance in determining the emissions solution that is right for their fleet. To further complicate the matter, regulations vary depending on fleet size and commercial vehicle type.

Part of Peterson's role as a California truck dealer and parts and service provider is helping motor carriers meet CA Air Resource Board (CARB) regulations. Attendees will be given an overview of CARB rules and upcoming deadlines, as well as a look at some of the technology that is now available (e.g. diesel particulate filters or DPF's). Our dedicated emissions specialist will be on hand to address questions.

Event Details:
Date: April 17, 2013
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: Peterson Trucks
3710 Regional Parkway
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Space is limited. Please RSVP in advance to Nick Will, nbwill@petersoncat.com, 510.618.5633.

Click here to download a printable flyer.

Avoid Accidents by Making Sure Your Drivers Understand Right-of-Way

Too often, commercial vehicle accidents occur because drivers either do not fully understand right-of-way, or they fail to act appropriately in situations where taking the right-of-way jeopardizes another vehicle.

To prevent these types of accidents, the FMCSA addresses right-of-way in their Accident Countermeasure Program.

The FMCSA recommends that commercial truck drivers give right-of-way until it is apparent that right-of-way is being given by the other driver. Drivers should also remember that, generally, the driver that arrives last gives right-of-way to drivers who were their first (be it at an intersection or merging onto a freeway).

Right-of-way should always be given in the following situations:

• When entering traffic
• When turning left in front of approaching traffic
• When changing lanes

Drivers should move into their intended path only after they are sure it won't interfere with other traffic. If a maneuver would cause another driver to steer or break, it should not be undertaken. Transportation managers should ensure that their drivers understand right-of-way and should periodically have a qualified person ride with drivers to examine their behaviors.

Navistar Shows Off its Latest Technology at World of Concrete, 2013

International had a lot to show off at this year’s World of Concrete tradeshow, which was held Feb 5-8 in Las Vegas. Not only did attendees get a glimpse at the latest in International truck technology, Navistar’s Continental Mixer division, acquired by the company last year, had the opportunity to showcase some of the products that are earning Navistar a top spot in the concrete industry.

In the center spotlight were International WorkStar severe-duty tractors with 13L MaxxForce engines equipped with Cummins SCR aftertreatment emissions technology. While ProStar+ models with similar emissions solutions began rolling off assembly lines late last year, this was customers’ first look at Cummins technology integrated into MaxxForce engines. WorkStars equipped with these engines are expected to be available to consumers in May.

International also showed off some of the features that will be available on the new line of WorkStars, including 96” breakaway mirrors, standard LED lighting, vocational bumpers, and Eaton Fuller UltraShift Plus 10-spd automated manual transmissions.

The showcased vocational trucks were equipped with new Continental Mixers, including a lightweight, integrated mixer with high-strength steel designed specifically for mixer applications. According to Navistar, this design weighs up to 2,000-lb. less than comparable mixers.

“With this lightweight mixer, we are changing the weight game in the mixer business,” said Steve Guillaume, GM of Continental Mixers. “We’ve developed a product that provides our customers with significant weight savings while maintaining all the benefits of a conventional steel mixer.”

Navistar will also be offering a WorkStar tractor integrated with a trailer mixer with 9.5-12 cubic meter capacity, which can also utilize Continental Mixers’ new lightweight components. This integrated design is intended to provide a complete mixer solution that is delivered, warrantied, and serviced through one network.

Profits Rise for Three International Customers: JB Hunt, Swift, and Celadon

While the country’s economic recovery is still progressing a little too slow for most of us, there are signs that better times are on the horizon for the trucking industry. For example, in spite of a largely stale economy in the final quarter of 2012 (combined with ever-rising fuel costs) three major publically-traded motor carriers posted higher-than-expected profits for October, November, and December according to the Jan 28 print edition of Transport Topics.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Swift Transportation Co., and Caledon Group, who maintain fleets consisting of International trucks, all reported favorable earnings in 2012’s fourth quarter. J.B. Hunt experienced record profit for the quarter with a 15.7% rise in income.

Swift Transportation increased its net income by 27.3% and Celadon Group experienced a 35.3% increase over the previous year’s earnings for the period.

While the economy still seems sluggish, at least it appears that we’re beginning to move in the right direction!

For further detail, visit: http://bit.ly/VK7GaD